Should You Do Your Own Garage Door Installation?

You pride yourself on the work you’ve put into your home. You can point to the spots in the roof that you patched up, you can talk about the windows you replaced, the cheap doorknobs you replaced with solid brass. You installed your own sink and you even repaired your own driveway when the cement cracked. If your house has a problem, nine times out of ten, you’re the person who fixes it.

But what about when it comes to garage door installation? If you’re installing a new door, is it wise to try and DIY that project, or would you be better off calling in the professionals? Here’s what you need to know before you decide:

Even DIYing it can be expensive.

If you want to do your own plumbing, you can probably fit all the necessary pipes in the back of your truck. Your garage door might not be such an easy fit. If you’re planning on doing the installation yourself, you’re already looking at costs involved with delivery and transportation. Not all garage doors can be strapped onto the roof of your car.

It’s not a one-person job.

If you like doing home repairs yourself, you’re probably not going to be able to swing this one solo. If you’ve never installed a garage door before, maybe you can figure it out through the instructions that come with the kit, but you’re going to have to make sure that you have a buddy who’s able to come and help you when you’re ready to install it. If you can’t lift the garage door yourself, you’re going to have a hard time installing it all by yourself.

It probably can’t be done with the tools you already have in your garage.

Many garage doors require specialty equipment in order to safely install. If you don’t have that equipment on hand, then you’re not going to be able to substitute your basic wrench set and powerdrill in their place.

Is it possible to DIY your garage door installation and get your Genie garage door remote connected? Sure. But for most homeowners, it’s more trouble than its worth. Professional installation is safe, convenient, tends to cost a lot less than people assume, and results in a door that you can use right away, not one that’s going to sit under a tarp in your driveway until you have a free weekend. It’s not impossible to do a great job installing a garage door with help from a friend, the question is whether or not it’s worth the hassle. To put it one way: If you have the tools and the capabilities and the free time to install your own garage door, it will take someone more persuasive than ourselves to talk you out of it.